Cyber Criminals Release Leona’s Unreleased Track Online

Police investigations are underway after the hacking and online leak of an unreleased track "Don't Let Me Down", supposedly from the second album of singer Leona Lewis, as per the news published by torrentfreak.com on August 19, 2009.

In fact, Simon Cowell's Syco, arm of Sony BMG, in an official statement declared the hack. Although the links to the track were immediately taken down on discovering the hack, the possibility of some more such links remaining out of reach could not be turned down, claimed a spokesperson for the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), as per the news published by telegraph.co.uk on August 19, 2009.

Explaining the entire process of the leaking of music track, a tech-savvy writer for The Sun (UK) stated that fake file-sharing websites pay hackers handsomely for the stolen music tracks as they try to lure more and more downloaders to their site and thereby, raking in more money from the advertisers.

Hackers steal music by infiltrating PCs and e-mails via Trojan viruses with advanced malicious code to evade protection. They append their gang's name with the stolen track and put them onto illicit sites. From there, they generally spread with the rate of an epidemic across the Internet.

The spokesperson for Syco further added that while some hackers try to sell the stolen tracks, others look for getting just a buzz from knowing that they are able to do this and curious people will listen to such illegally tagged tracks.

Head of IFPI's Internet Anti-Piracy Unit, Jeremy Banks, informed that the pre-release leaks of tracks, though sourced, cause major damage to the individuals/organizations investing substantially in marketing and promoting the music prior to their release, reported globalgrind.com on August 20, 2009.

Security experts noted that the music industry had witnessed decline in revenues due to rapidly surging rate of Internet piracy and the increase in legal digital downloads has not been able to make up for the losses in physical purchases.

Some of the well-known singers who have already faced the hacking and illegal release of their music tracks include 50 Cent, Beyonce, Rihanna, Alexandra Burke and Eminem among several others.